Pros
Segregation • Can cater for children with profound and complex
a regular class
• Special schools have specialised equipment and
resources for looking after children with disabilities.
• Teachers in special schools are trained
Cons
• The cost of providing education for children
•
•
•
•
Integration
• Breaks down barriers and negative attitudes;
•
•
•
•
Inclusion
facilitates social integration and cohesion in
communities. The involvement of parents and the
local community further strengthens this process.
The child is able to socialise with other children as
part of a school community
Reduced costs for transportation and institutional
provision
Reduced administrative costs associated with
having special and regular education
Some research states that children in integrated or
inclusive settings have higher achievement levels
than those in segregated settings.
with disabilities is estimated to be 7 to 9
times higher when placed in special schools
as opposed to providing for their needs in
mainstream education
Distance to school resulting in higher
transportation costs
Child deprived of socialisation opportunities
and prone to continued exclusion
Reinforces discrimination against those with
disabilities
May unnecessarily segregate children with
mild disabilities, makes the disability worse
• Inability to accommodate the learning needs
of all
• Pressure on limited resources
• Requires assistance by parents, volunteers or
older children
• S
• Teachers’ skills, schools resources, high pupil-
• Schools change attitudes towards diversity by
• Costs of adapting curricula to allow
educting all children together
to-teacher ratios
• Less costly alternative to special segregated schools • Cost of suppying teaching aids and material to
• No additional costs to parents
improve participation and communication of
• Reduction of social wefare costs and future
children with disabilities
dependence
• Cost of adapting school infrastructure
• Higher achievement for children than in segregated • Requires assistance by parents, volunteers or
settings
• 60% children with special educational needs can
•
•
•
•
•
be educated with no adaptions and 80-90% can be
educated in regular schools with minor adaptations
(e.g. teaching strategy training, child-to-child
support and environmental adaptions)
Disabled child is less stigmatised, more socially
included
I
Costs can be kept to a minimum by drawing upon
local resources, people and facilities
Children with disabilities have access to a wider
curriculum than that which is available in special
schools.
Practical tips on how to develop inclusive education
in environments with few resources are provided in
Inclusive Education: Where there are few resources
older children
• Investment in specially trained mobile
resource teachers
Sources: UNESCO 2009- Policy Guidelines for Inclusion; Jonsson and Wiman 2001 Education, Poverty and Disability in Developing Countries; Social
Analysis and Disability: A Guidance Note Incorporating Disability-Inclusive Development intoBank-Supported Projects 2007, Inclusive Education:
Where there are few resources (2008)
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